Pearl-clutching over wrecking ball aside, Trump showing bold leadership we need

Originally published in the Columbus Dispatch, this is a slightly expanded version that goes into more detail. I truly appreciate the Dispatch for their willingness to include contrarian voices and headlines that help to sell newspapers.

For some, the past few weeks in politics and sports have been a whirlwind, a tsunami, or an avalanche — all a type of natural disaster. Others would describe these events in positive terms like exciting, invigorating, and a flurry of activity.

As an Ohio State alum, I assign the Buckeye’s win in the College Football National Championship game to the positive category. While fans of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish no doubt feel otherwise, this is Buckeye country, and a national championship is worth celebrating.

In politics, Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term, representing a political comeback of historic proportions. Ohioans also claimed the first U.S. Vice President in 100 years and two new U.S. Senators. Red voters rejoice, and those who cheer for blue are, well, blue.

This reminds us that whether we view events as positive or negative depends on our perspective. As I was talking about this with a friend, he reminded me of a 2000 year-old Chinese parable of the farmer who lost his horse.

While the farmer’s neighbors all expressed certainty that the loss of his horse was a disaster, the wise old man responded to their certainty with “maybe, maybe not.” Essentially, time will tell. After a series of subsequent events, the farmer’s loss of his horse eventually led to saving his son’s life.

Read this parable for yourself. Like much of ancient wisdom, its lessons are still valid today. We often react to unexpected or unwanted events with immediate dread or fear. An old coach of mine used to describe it as “awfulizing” — assuming the worst and acting accordingly.

Far too many of us continue to do so even after repeated experience of having neither the worst, nor even bad outcomes happen. That same coach would also often remind our team that “fear makes us stupid.”

There sure seems to be an awful lot of fear-driven responses these days.

For some, Donald Trump represents a threat to democracy itself. Maybe, maybe not.

The same can be said for his flurry of Cabinet confirmations and Executive Orders in his first days.  Are they an avalanche of unqualified and unconstitutional awfulness or a snow-skier’s powder-day dream of policymaking honoring objective reality and a clear majority of the voters’ will?

I lean toward the latter.

In a column posted two days after the November election, I wrote: “Voters aren’t at fault for resoundingly rejecting the policies, politics, and candidates of the modern Democratic Party” and “…made it crystal clear that they are tired of the condescension, open borders, and denial of their economic — if not biological — reality.”

Trump’s appointments and executive orders address each of these issues. In that regard, they are the epitome of democracy in action. Are they good? Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.

Much of the pearl-clutching has been in regards to a wrecking ball of executive orders that toppled decades of dubious policies of advancing racial preferences. Whether that’s good or bad depends on if you see only the rubble of long-held beliefs left behind, or a rebirth of the color-blind promise of the civil rights era that rises from it.

Similar fulmination has arisen from Trump’s reaffirming the biological reality that there are only two sexes as well as his sharp reversal of Biden’s open-door immigration policies.

All of these presidential actions were so quickly accomplished because they are easily done — or undone — with the stroke of the President’s pen.

What you probably haven’t seen reported is the reason Mr. Trump — or any president — has this power today is because none of those policies was ever voted into law by the peoples’ representatives in Congress.

Previous administrations spent billions of dollars and unleashed an army of bureaucrats on the American people as part of these programs and policies, none of which had ever received legislative approval. Who was subverting democracy then?

Article I of our Constitution vests the power to make law with the people’s representatives in Congress. By reversing previous executive orders, Trump’s pen arguably restores legislator’s power.

 In another previous column, I wrote that the Supreme Court is also doing its part to restore congressional power by removing deference to executive branch agency statutory interpretation.

I have little doubt that some of Mr. Trump’s actions may exceed his constitutional authority or breach statutory requirements. Bold leaders often push boundaries. Our foundational institutions of checks and balances, properly utilized, have stood the test of time and will continue to do so.

Republicans have bare majorities in both houses of Congress. Voters will punish them in two years if they overreach or fail to do their jobs. I expect litigation to ensue in other cases and look to the courts to do their job when appropriate. I’ve seen enough in my life to know that certainty isn’t warranted and vigilance is required.

Mr. Trump, J.D. Vance, and all our elected representatives are imperfect messengers but each represent the choices of the American people and as such are a testament to the strength of our democratic, constitutional republic.

 Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m not. Time will tell.

 For now at least, the Buckeyes are #1.